May We Help makes Christmas bright for kids with disabilities by making adaptive toys

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - This time of year, many kids are asking Santa Claus for something special.

But for a lot of families, going to see Santa and playing with toys isn't as easy as it sounds.

The mission of the nonprofit "May We Help" is to make life easier, more accessible, and more enjoyable for people with disabilities.

This holiday season, the organization is all about making kids happy by modifying toys so that they can play with them more easily.

On Sunday, one family after another entered the workshop, capped off by a visit with Santa.

"The decorations, the way they transformed it makes it real magical and special for the kids,” said Elizabeth Burns.

Burns and her husband, Jeremy, were there with their four children.

“Presents that are already adaptive for them to play with them because they can’t,” said Elizabeth.

Inside May We Help, there was no shortage of smiles. The nonprofit is meeting a critical need by modifying toys for kids.

"The kind that rely on a dial or a lever to activate them, they can’t do it, so we so we modify it so the lever cranks and the dial spins with just the push of a button,” said May We Help executive director Rob Seideman.

From dancing cacti to shuffling cards, the toys come to life with just the press of one button.

In 2021, May We Help was caught a little off guard with 45 requests. This time, the team was ready, as more than 200 kids received a gift.

"It was really neat to see the kids be able to get a gift from Santa," Jeremy said.

To make all of this happen, volunteers with May We Help worked with students at McNicholas and Milford High Schools.

Maria Mastromauro is an aspiring engineer. She and her classmates not only collected nearly 60 toys, but spent hours modifying them, too.

"Honestly, it makes my heart warm seeing that I was able to take my passion turn it into something that makes kids happy this holiday season,” Mastromauro said.

To learn more about the services May We Help offers, click here.